Category Archives: In Progress

#114 On The Table

First, a question for you: Do you know anyone besides me that can honestly and literally say “Back to the drawing board?”

drawing board

Can you believe the mess that happens on my drawing board? In spite of the piled up stuff, drawing #114 of The Cabins of Wilsonia is happening. I’m right on schedule!

Photos, legal pad of notes, drafting brush, triangle, cups and box of pencils, erasers, sharpener, T-square, erasing shield, pica pole (that is a ruler that measures in whole units because there is less chance of errors than when I’m dealing in fractions – yes, I DO measure) and a few other items.

Looks like a mess, but everything is right at hand.

Drawing #86 is on the Table

Oh yeah, I’m drawing! Here is #86 out of 230.

#86 in progress

What’s all that stuff on the table? Clockwise from left:

  1. 3 brands of pencils ranging in hardess from 2H to 8B
  2. the list of sizes to draw in order to fit properly on the book pages
  3. more photos on the yellow legal pad AKA “my brains”
  4. the chart showing the pages I’m currently working on – these are little scribbly sketches that show me which drawings will be what size on each page
  5. various tools – erasing shield, triangle, sharpener, drafting brush, eraser (yup, sometimes I need one) Several of these tools are typically used by architects, engineers and draftsmen. They are very helpful in the sort of exact precise drawing that I love to do!
  6. Photos – gotta have ’em! One of my favorite artists, Jack White says “All realistic artists either work from photos or they lie about it.” He also told me to ditch the pencils and take up oil painting. Sigh. Can’t do it – love my pencils!
  7. And finally, the drawing itself. It is on 11×14″ paper. I work from left to right, top to bottom. This is so my hand doesn’t smear the picture as I wander aimlessly around the page. With 145 drawings hanging over my head, I’d better not be wandering aimlessly around anything!